shipt to begin same-day delivery. the plan is to offer this at half of its stores by early 2018, all major markets by the next holiday season. until now, target and other store-based retailers had one advantage over online, you could pick up your items the same day, but now amazon is making the push to same-day delivery, so there is a real fight in the retail space, and i think you, the consumer, are the big beneficiary there. thanks for joining us. i'm christine we want to give you, the american people, a giant tax cut for christmas. >> negotiators struck a deal how to reconcile the house and senate plans. >> the public knows what's going on, and that is tax cuts for the wealthiest. >> we have not received the final count. our political process has been affected with baseless and false allegations. >> it shows the voters of alabama are taking another look at the trump administration. >> it was a very gracious call. he congratulated me on the race that we won.

>> i think the public mistrust is gone. >> nobody indicated to me a desire to remove robert mueller. >> if not, all hell will break loose. >> this is "new day" with chris cuomo and alisyn camerota. >> we want to welcome our viewers in the united states and around the world. this is "new day". it is thursday, december 14th, 6:00 in new york. republican leaders in the house and senate striking a deal on overhaul the nation's tax laws. gop leaders want to vote next week so the president can sign it into law before christmas. at the moment, a majority of economists say the plan overwhelmingly benefits corporations and wealthy americans over the middleclass. a new poll shows the vast majority of americans do not support is it. so why are republicans pushing it through? one day after president trump suffered a political loss in alabama with roy moore's defeat, roy moore releases a new video,

refusing to concede. he sees no reason to fire mueller. this comes as they are trying to discredit the lifelong gop member raising questions about bias in his russia investigation. >> and senator john mccain hospitalized due to side effects from his brain cancer treatment. former vice president joe biden, who lost his son to the same deadly disease, was on set with mccain's daughter. and they had some moment that we will show to you. we have it all covered. let's begin with cnn's joe johns live at the white house. good morning, joe. >> reporter: good morning, chris. it's beginning to look more and more like congressional republicans and the president will be able to provide americans with what has been referred to as a christmas gift in the form of tax cuts by the end of the year regardless of

whether polls show the taxpayers like it or not. and congressional republicans will be able to give themselves something to crow about as we enter the race for control of congress in the midterm elections. >> we're just days away, i hope. we want to give you, the american people, a giant tax cut for christmas. >> reporter: president trump touting a tentative deal on the republican tax plan after party leaders announced they have reconciled the house and senate bills, a major step forward. >> this bill is a bold departure from the broken tax code america has today. >> reporter: the key points of the compromised bill as it now stands, reducing the top individual tax rate to 37% from 39.6%. and lowering the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, a slight uptick from the 20% rate originally proposed that was favored by president trump. >> 20 is my number. so is i'm not negotiating that

number. >> reporter: the deal fully repeels the corporate alternative minimum tax but keeps the individual amt for people making over $500,000 a year and families making at least one million. president trump stands to benefit from this change to the amt to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. according to his only tax return that is public from 2005. the tax plan would also now allow individuals to write off up to $10,000 of state and income property taxes or is sales taxes or a combination of them, appeasing lawmakers in high-tax states. senate negotiators proposed a number of popular deductions including the student loan deduction, medical expense deduction, and graduate-free waivers. it would eliminate the mandate which requires most people to pay tax if they do not buy health insurance. how the resulting revenue

shortfall will be paid for. >> i am personally concerned about the u.s. debt situation, taking what is already a significant problem and making it worse. it is of concern to me. >> reporter: do all of these changes deliver on president trump's promise to help the middleclass? a new quinnipiac poll shows 26% of americans approve the republican tax plan. despite this, the gop is flatly rejecting a vote until doug jones is seated next month. >> it would be wrong for senate republicans to jam through this tax bill without giving the newly elected senator from alabama the opportunity to cast its vote. >> reporter: the senate minority leader citing what the president said in 2010 when a final act was delayed until scott brown could be seated. >> people in massachusetts

spoke. he's got to be part of that process. >> reporter: in an interview with cnn, then businessman donald trump praised president obama for his role in that decision. >> he said now we have to give massachusetts their vote, which was a very smart thing for him to say. >> reporter: and one more note. if you are a homeowner out there wondering what's going to happen to the revered and revialed mortgage interest deduction, it will be capped at $750,000. >> okay, joe, thank you very much. let's discuss it. bring in cnn political analyst john avlon and errol lewis. it is very interesting to dive into in terms of the details and the opinion of it. so let's do both. so here's what we know right now. the top individual rate for the wealthiest lowers to 37%. the corporate rate goes way down to 21%. those state property taxes, they

get complicated. there's a cap on them at some point. they are not repealing them altogether. >> they are important in the big states, california, new york. so people write off the taxes they pay at the state and local level. >> if you're not allowed to, that's a big -- >> they're still allowed, but they have reduced the amount you can write off. but in exchange, they lower the top tier believing the people who will be most hurt by the salt change are the top tiers. so they gave them a little bit more of a tax deduction. >> so everybody has to get out their calculators to figure out if this is a win. the thing, errol, is people don't feel as though this is a win. the latest polling says, listen to this. this is a quinnipiac poll that the tax plan, a candidate's support for the tax plan will make you less likely to want to vote for them 43% gets the

highest number there. >> that is correct. i think the question of the wisdom of crowds where people sense generally the process, the fact that there have been no hearings. the fact they haven't waited for any detailed analysis. the fact that you can't sit with your tax planner and try to figure out what this is going to mean for you suggests that something is happening that is a little bit untoward. and i think they are probably right. whenever you hear the alternative minimum tax, that is code for whatever else you did as far as your deductions, however you structured your life, you're going to pay anyway. people understand that. i think with the state and local deductibility, people sense that the value of on your home is going to be repriced. >> they did keep the mortgage deduction. they changed the rate to

$750,000. that's huge for people. that you have the ability to write off the interest that you pay on your mortgage. that had been in the offing also. at least it's still in there, though at a different level. >> this bill is unpopular because of the speed at which they passed it. this has not been exemplary policy. the polls reflect that. the details are just coming out. it is a bad bill but slightly less bad bill in this function. they addressed graduate and student -- >> that is still in there. it had been taken out. >> it had been taken out, which was an insult to people trying to climb up the corporate ladder. this is a zero sum politics game. republicans need to get a win on the board. that's been the motivating factor. no way mitch mcconnell will wait for the new year and for doug jones to get seated.

>> if trump hadn't pounded this as the delivery for the little guy, for the middle class, if he hadn't pitched it that way, if they hadn't echoed that and said one of the things we're going to do is cut taxes, you will get a tax cut, you will get a tax cut, you will get a tax cut. >> like oprah. >> that's what it was. a general tax cut. the cell, is that part of what poisoned the well here? >> the rationale just kind of fell away. the reason was supposed to jump start the economy, put stimulus into the economy. the economy was heating up anyway. the stock market was hitting new highs. we had gdp growth. a genuine accomplishment he could have really taken credit for. instead of saying that, that you are saying let's put more rocket fuel on it. let's damage the long term prospects of the fiscal health

of the nation. we need 3%, 4% growth. well, i don't think most people understand that is super important them. we're approaching full employment, for god's sake is. there are issues around whether that is equitably distributed. that of course has never been talked about. people realize what is being talked about and what is being planned and what will happen in their life is not quite the same thing. >> so, john, explain the debate over whether to wait for doug jones to be seated and how this has echoes of obamacare. >> the precedent being cited by democrats is back during the debate when scott brown shocked the world by winning as a republican in massachusetts. >> ted kennedy died. he wound up with the seat. >> correct. mitch mcconnell argued they should wait for scott brown. the democrats have spoken.

>> we have that from 2010. he went along with that logic. listen to this. >> here's one thing i know. and i just want to make sure this is off the table. the senate certainly shouldn't try to jam anything through until scott brown is seated. the people of massachusetts spoke. he's got to be part of that process. i would advise that we try to move quickly to coalesce around those elements of the package that people agree on. >> when is this bygone era of decency and reasonableness? it is absolutely -- that's like a dispatch from another era. >> planet. >> yeah. so mitch mcconnell requested that that be happening. situational ethics are rampant in washington. he is not going to agree to the same standard as he did then. >> they're not going to wait for doug jones? >> i would be shocked and there's actually no point to even indulge the thought they might. that is not the way they play pool right now.

this is situation al ethics. they want it in one situation, they don't want it in this one. they want to ram the bill through. we will see its impact on the economy, the deficit, the debt. remember, they didn't close any of the loopholes. the whole deal, which obama backed, lowering the tax rate. we'll see if this exacerbates the problems that in some ways trump was elected to help address. roy moore is also in the news. he will not concede. he put out a video. here's a taste. >> we are indeed in a struggle to preserve our republic, our civilization and our religion and set free a suffering humanity. and the battle rages on. in this race we have not received the final count to include military and provisional ballots. this has been a close race. we are awaiting certification by

the secretary of state. >> i mean, we've spoken to the secretary of state here who has said this is of. >> there will be certification. and then it will be over. and the certification will be transmitted to the senate. then the new senator will be sworn in. and the will whole thing will be over. it's tremendously irresponsible for him to, number one, sort of add all of this emotional freight to it as if this is suffering humanity. no. it is one more race that you have lost. it happens. that's part of the business. terribly irresponsible. and at the same time kind of a waste of everybody's time. nothing is going to change. the republican party in alabama has said, look, it's over. it's over. we're going to do our job as we're supposed to do. >> although it is a reminder roy moore who he is, words and all. there are plenty of those, and there were even before those allegations. it is a reminder of a battle that is raging. people do believe there is a

culture war afoot. it is is not going to go away with roy moore. >> that particular playbook with that particular messenger couldn't win even in alabama. president trump called doug jones to congratulate him. the secretary of state basically said this is done. the idea that we are hunkering down in the hills for the resistance doesn't comport with reality. >> thank you very much. another big moment yesterday. deputy attorney general rob rosenstein was on the hill and defended bob mueller and the russia investigation. what did he say about republican claims of bias? what did he say about whether or not firing mueller should be on the table? >> and we are taking the pulse of the people again. how trump voters feel about roy moore's defeat? that's ahead. 's the story of gren mountain coffee roasters sumatra reserve told in the time it takes to brew your cup. let's go to sumatra. where's sumatra?

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because when you know where you stand, things are just clearer. ♪ just remember what i said about a little bit o' soul ♪ testifying before the house oversig oversight, rosen stein pushed back on the investigation is biased. first the facts. jessica schneider is live with more. what can you tell us? >> reporter: quite simply, chris, rosenstein was unwaivering throughout this

hours-long contentious hearing where republicans alleged political bias. they are pointing to the anti-trump text messages between peter strzok and lisa page. the justice department released hundreds of those messages this week. two from march 2016 at the height of the primary. lisa page, the attorney for the fbi, she said that she said, god, trump is a loathsome human. that's when struck responded, yet he may win. another text from 2016 has struck saying omg, he's an idiot. lisa page responding, he's awful. they were repeatedly brought up with republicans saying a second special counsel should be assigned to investigate. he played a leading role in the hillary clinton e-mail server investigation. but rod rosenstein stood firm saying it is sufficient for now. and then stressed robert mueller

himself would not be removed. take a listen. >> have you seen good cause to fire special counsel mueller? >> no. we recognize we have employees with political opinions and it is our job to make sure their opinions do not impact their decisions. i believe director mueller understands that and is running the office correctly. >> he said views are different than bias. that explanation has done little to placate republicans. last night the number two republican in the senate, john cornyn, called for robert mule tore clean house of his team who have been politically active or have made comments critical of the president. chris and alisyn? >> okay. thank you very much for all of that reporting. we have chief legal analyst jeffrey toobin and phil mudd. i think rod rosenstein was

trying to give a logical answer to, yes, we understand agents can have political opinions. and we hope that they are responsible and don't let that color the investigation of their work. if so, we reassign them or take some political action. obviously fbi agents are human. they have opinions. how can they make sure it doesn't ruin an investigation? >> a couple things you're looking at. if you think of the inspector general, remember the inspector general is looking at these. these are tphpld individuals, inspectors general, who do not report to the fbi director. whenever they investigate whether there's wrongdoing on the team, they can do that. i can tell you they are a hammer for anybody in this viewing audience who has ever seen flashing red lights behind them when you get a speeding ticket, it is that feeling of dread.

they don't look without coming up with something typically. they are really rough to deal with. you can expect not only that they are looking at this with a pretty, you know, tight focus but also there will be recommendations to the department of justice and the fbi about action against the individuals involved. i would expect some discipline, alisyn. >> well, we have already seen some. and rosenstein shared your apprehension yesterday, phillip mudd. you want to know my thoughts about comey? i already put them out in my memo. you have the inspector general looking into that. he seems satisfied with that. he seems satisfied that the russia probe was not tainted. and he seems satisfied bob mueller is beyond reapproach. >> there is a whole subtext and that is the republican party, especially public media, fox news and company have been agitating for the president to fire mueller. that drum beat is rising in the

republican party. rod rosenstein is his superior. trump can't fire mueller. he can only direct rosenstein to fire mueller. what was clear from yesterday is trump will have to fire rod rosenstein. >> tell the people why. there was a two-step question asked about this specifically. he was asked, do you think there was any reason to? >> right. >> and if you were directed to -- and he went back to what the test is. >> the test is -- i want to get the exact words. >> dereliction of duty. i would take a look at it. if there was cause, then i will. if there is not cause i would then not go with the suggestion. and he buttoned it up again and said i do not see cause to remove bob mueller. that was a pretty clear message. >> it was an explicit message. that means if the president wants to get rid of mueller,

he's going to have to do a saturday night massacre. he's going to have to start firing people in the justice department until someone agrees to do his bidding. that would be a political earthquake even in the contemporary political environment. >> phil, what do you say to all of these people who have this tkrepl beat that. >> across america, everybody has a political view. if you want to look at the e-mails of the democratic and republican staff working on the senate committee reviewing this, what do you think those he mails would say? i think there's a couple things we've got to look at here. first of all, a republican nominated fbi director is conducting an investigation. that's robert mueller. i must have met with him 1,000, 2,000 times. i can't remember him him uttering a word about anybody

other than those under investigation. >> you're starting to look at them. >> i look at you and say, it doesn't get any worse. but my point is, for everybody who says it's a witch-hunt, you have a democratic -- pardon me, a republican deputy attorney general who says we have to proceed with this. a republican nominated former fbi director. remember, the republican chairman of the senate committee says we have to proceed. where is the democratic witch-hunt? it's pay bunch of republicans saying we have to go down this road. >> remember hillary clinton and her people when the he mail people investigation was going on, they were making the same claim. people in the fbi hate her. they want to get after her. that's why they were going after comey to prosecute. they don't like her. they think she is a liar. it kind of works both ways. >> it sure does. one final comment. >> please. >> if you want to look at his 12-year history, he also investigated democrats. that's a story, chris.

>> there you go. sorry to interrupt the "bromance". >> you say i make your day better, you get the final word. >> that is so true. another high-profile departure from the white house. omarosa fired again by donald trump. the mystery surrounding her sudden departure. what's behind it. >> ben carson found it very funny.

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i use herpecin l.re, it penetrates deep to treat. it soothes, moisturizes, and creates an spf 30 barrier, to protect against flare-ups caused by the sun. herpecin l. one of president trump's most high profile assistants, omarosa, is out at the white house. nothing new for the former ""the apprentice" contestant who was fired from his reality show. >> go out and sell paintings or whatever the hell you're doing. omarosa has to go. you're fired. >> the official line is she's resigning. but in particular omarosa fashion, there's plenty of drama. april ryan joins us. how devastating is this to the country with the loss of omarosa? >> not at all.

the problem is no one really knew what omarosa did. we know she talked a lot with many of the presidents. she wanted to be head of that. she was trying to lead up the effort that the president really championed because of her. she at least attended or -- attended three hbcus. so she felt passionate about that. she felt passionate about haiti. she wanted to be the ambassador to haiti. that didn't happen. she was really lost. she didn't know her place i guess in the white house. and no one knew what she did. she bucked the season. she bucked reince priebus. and she devil bucked general kelly. she had a salary of $180,000. >> what? >> she was a friend of president trump. yes. she was awe friend of president

trump. he cherished that friendship. she used to have walk-in access. and that is where the problem begins. >> okay. first of all -- >> parameters to keep the president focused. >> april, you're giving us a lot of information. she actually did have some cobbled together role. and $180,000 is a huge salary for someone who you can't say what their job description is. some of this is tongue in cheek. >> taxpayer money. >> there is drama surrounding omarosa. tell us your reporting. was there some sort of blowup at the white house holiday party with her? >> some sort is an understatement. so apparently, according to my sources, my credible sources, at the christmas party, one of the two christmas parties that night. it was actually election night. that night, you know, general kelly approached omarosa. he said i need to talk to you. she said, sure, i want to have

full access again. meaning walking privileges at any time into the oval office. being able to go in and out of meetings per what she wants to do any time. she wanted full access. just free and clear. and then he said no. she said if i don't get it, all hell will break loose. there will be a price loose. he said, okay, all hell will break loose. that's where it started. apparently people heard it. she was allegedly vulgar, cursing. multiple sources are telling me she was with her husband at the time, a pastor. she's a minister herself. that didn't sit well. they negotiated some out for january 20th. from what i'm hearing from the white house, there is some sort of signed resignation, negotiated resignation for january 20th. but then later on it did not sit well with her. she proceeds to try to get into the residence, the white house.

remember, she did not have full access anymore. secret service say they did not escort her out, but someone did. secret service, someone called general kelly. general kelly came back. omarosa has been a thorn in general kelly's side. it is a multiplicity of things. one thing that got to general kelly is she said i helped elect this president. i brought the black vote. he said, no, you didn't. it was really ugly. there are other stories that she tripped alarms when she went into the white house. one of my sources say she did try to break in. what we do know is she tried to get into the residents to talk to the president. according to sources, general kelly said the president signed off on this in the first fight, the first altercation. but she said i'm still going to call him. it is high drama. we have never seen anything like this before.

>> it sounds like something that would be captured on a reality show. >> this is the people's house. this is where war and peace comes, everything in between. this is not a place for that. >> i'm going to end on this note. we have a long, long list of departures in the first year. maybe we can put it up on the screen or scroll it. >> not even a year. >> less than a year. many of them, as you know, high profile like bannon, scaramucci, reince priebus, sean spicer and open rosa. april, thank you very much for all the scoopage on that one. >> that's not a word. john mccain hospitalized at walter reed medical center due to side effects from ongoing cancer treatment. the war hero is a fighter. he is fighting this aggressive form of brain cancer, the same

cancer that took the life of joe biden's son beau. >> i tried. your son beau had the same cancer that my father was diagnosed with six months ago. i'm sorry. >> there's a lot of hope. >> i think about beau almost every day. and i was told -- sorry -- that this doesn't get easier. but you cultivate the tools to work with this and live with this. i know you and your family have been through tragedy that i couldn't conceive of. it's not about me. it's about everybody. >> it is about everyone. but, look, one of the things that gave beau courage, my word, was john. your dad -- you may remember.

your dad took care of my beau. your dad became friends with beau. and beau talked about your dad's courage. not about illness but about his courage. there's a lot of things happening. any of you who have somebody who is diagnosed with glioblastoma, which is about as bad as it gets. there's breakthroughs. there are four things that are going on. it could happen tomorrow. at the university of pennsylvania where i teach now, at the abramson center, they found a car t cell. they take your cells out of your body and reinforce it with an antigen. it goes in and finds the cancer cell. they can hide from your immune system. they had a breakthrough dealing with child leukemia. it's working.

there's other things called -- what they did about beau, they are using this car t cell and using -- they inject a virus and it generates into the cancer. >> so there's hope. >> there is hope. and if anybody can make it, your dad -- her dad is one of my best friends. her dad -- her dad goes after me hammer and tong. we're like two brothers who were somehow raised by different fathers or something because of our points of view. i mean this sincerely, and i said it even when your dad got mad at me and said i should get the hell off the ticket. and do you remember what i said about your tkafpltd i said i know, and i mean this sincerely,

i know if i picked up the phone tonight and called john mccain, and said i'm at 2nd and vine in osh kosh and i need your help, come. he would get on a plane and come. and i would for him too. >> senator mccain is never somebody to let anybody get the last word. he said thank you joe biden and the entire biden family for serving as an example and source of strength for my own family. what an unusual moment on television. >> i watched it play out live. i just happened to catch it. i knew something was happening when meghan started to cry. joe biden is so special that he can zero right in. he knew just what to say to turn her from crying to laughter. he does that. he guys from poignants to humor in that way. it was a special moment, you

know? >> look, she needed it. he is a very empathetic guy. but it was a window into something else. take the cancer out of it. take all the emotion that you don't want. something people don't get to see anymore. i know joe biden. i know john mccain. they used to be friends down there. they used to fight on the ideas, not on the insults of individuals. it used to be that way. i lived it. i watched it. it is not that way anymore too often. and i hope that was a reminder for people. even on top of the cancer and the sentimentalities, this is how they treated people. it didn't matter they were different parties. it didn't matter that he said get off the ticket. you stink. they still believed in each other and decency was the role. >> that leaves us to 2020. >> he says there's no reason for him to not leave the door open. it doesn't do anything to close the door. it is nothing more than that,

but we'll see. >> all right. meanwhile, there are new accusations against blake farenthold, a former senior aide coming forward to describe the abusive and vulgar behavior she received. details next. remember how the economic crash

was supposed to be a wake up call for our government? people all across the country lost their savings, their pensions and their jobs. i'm tom steyer and it turned out that the system that had benefited people like me who are well off, was, in fact, stacked against everyone else. it's why i left my investment firm and resolved to use my savings for the public good. but here we are nine years later and this president and the republican congress are making a bad situation even worse. they won't tell you that their so called "tax reform" plan is really for the wealthy and big corporations, while hurting the middle class. it blows up the deficit and that means fewer investments in education, health care and job creation. it's up to all of us to stand up to this president.

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he tells me the congressman was verbally abusive, made sexually demeaning comments and jokes, and regularly berated his staff. he said in july 2015 rekola was ready to leave town for his wedding. he said farenthold, in front of other staffers, used a crude term for performing oral sex, saying better have your fiancee do that before she walks down the aisle. it will be the last time. he then joked about whether rekola's now wife could wear white on her wedding day. another former farenthold staffer said she remembers him

making the crude oral sex comment. in another disturbing detail is rekola tells me farenthold regularly referred to aides as a profanitity as f-tards he would slam his fists and explode in anger. he was flying off the handle on every little thing. i couldn't find a way to control it. the congressman acknowledged to cnn that he did regularly call his aides f-tards. he said it was used in jest and not in anger and in hindsight i admit it is inappropriate. >> this is different. it was at a man. it is different than threatening language or predatory behavior. >> it is certainly sexual language. >> it is is going to be context

swal. he is under under an ethics investigation. so what does this mean now? >> house ethics committee is investigating the congressman and whether he harassed another aide, lauren greene. he reached out you last week and volunteered to help with that ongoing investigation. as you know, because the committee does not comment on existing investigations, it didn't comment for this story. if i could just put all of this in broader context, rekola's decision to speak out makes him a rare male staffer to come forward with allegations of misconduct against a member of congress. most of the people who have come forward say me too. so far they have been women. aides say capitol hill can be a hostile workplace for both women and men. rekola said i want staffers on capitol hill to know they're not alone. chris and alisyn. >> mj, thank you for all of that exclusive reporting. also, new reporting about how

white house efforts to convince president trump to accept the intelligence community's finding on the russian election meddling. how do those play out inside the white house? details from one of the "washington post" reporters who broke this story next. sumatra reserve. let's go to sumatra. the coffee here is amazing. because the volcanic soil is amazing. so we give farmers like win more plants. to grow more delicious coffee. which helps provide for win's family. all, for a smoother tasting cup of coffee. green mountain coffee roasters.

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all right. we are learning new details about how trump leaves russian threat. the president continues to reject evidence that russia meddled in the 2016 election. but it is is why he rejects that

evidence that is going to command your attention. let's bring in one of the members of the reporting team, "washington post" national security correspondent greg miller. greg, thank you for doing this. congratulations on your team reporting. what do you see as the several big takeaways for people from this report? >> i think there's a couple of things in here that are new. our piece opens with efforts shortly after the election, before he was inaugurated by his inner circle to get him to come to terms with this, to get him to accept this rock solid case that russia had interfered in the election, had tried to help him. and his refusal. and then it just sort of goes forward from there. the implications of that rejection for nearly every part of the government that deals with russia policy. the cia, the state department, other security agencies, the fbi. i mean, it's just -- it is sort of an infection that goes

through and impairs the government's ability to deal with what happened to the united states election in 2016. >> so tell me if i have this right. i was just skimming through. it is is thick. this is a thick report. people will have to take their time. reporting takes its times. it takes layers. good for you guys for putting in the work. it is is not that they don't deal with or they don't meet or they don't consider or push for policy. it's why. that trump will not tolerate and takes any suggestion of russian interference as being bad for him. as a result, the entire group around him decided to avoid it even though the interference is a foregone conclusion. >> that's right. it amounts to his own personal insecurity about this issue. this is what we say in the story. this is to us without obvious precedent in history. an american president, because

of his personality in securities, refusing to accept what most senior members of his administration regard as objective reality. it is not just that they don't meet. the president has never convened a national security meeting on this. and the punishments that the obama administration put in place on its way out of office before handing the reins of power over to trump. maryland and new york, russian-owned estates that the obama administration seized and kicked russians out of. we document just repeated efforts, persistent exploration of ways to give those back to russia. this reflex, impulse, to continue to try to do things nice for putin that president trump seems unwilling to do for even close american allies. >> now, what is the best sense

of why? i get the logic is simple. every time you say interference it means i didn't win fair and square. i get it. the efforts to repeal previous and pre-existing sanctions of the kind that you mentioned and others. the logic isn't as continuous. why does the reporting suggest they're going so far to placate russ russia? >> white house officials would tell us that the president really believes if he could only have this relationship with vladimir putin that he covets, this bond. if he were only allowed to proceed, they could solve a lot of the world's problems, syria, iran and other really difficult and tractable issues. part is this conviction on the part of the president that his charis charisma, his personal ability to have relationships with leaders is the key to solving

problems, not policy. >> greg, thank you very much. this isn't even close to honoring what is in this piece. there are a lot of layers, subtext. a lot went into this. thank you very much to this. best christmas to you and your family. >> thanks so much. alisyn. the gop tax bill nearing the finish line. why are republican leaders pushing so hard for a bill so unpopular at the moment with americans? we discuss all of that next. they appear out of nowhere. my secret visitors. appearing next to me in plain sight. hallucinations and delusions. these are the unknown parts of living with parkinson's disease. what stories they tell. but for my ears only. what plots they unfold. but only in my mind. over 50% of people with parkinson's will experience hallucinations or delusions

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we're just days away from delivering an amazing bill. >> this is an absurd piece of legislation. pay attention to the working class families. >> it is time we heal. >> i believe the heart and soul of our country is at stake. >> as leader of the party, i would have liked to have the seat. >> senator john mccain hospitalized due to side effects of cancer treatment. >> i was told -- sorry -- that this doesn't get easier. >> her dad is one of my best friends. >> this is "new day" with chris cuomo and alisyn camerota. >> that was some moment with joe biden and meghan mccain. we'll show